Star Struck

[Charles]

I haven't created an Otaku Lounge thread in ages. It's probably been over a year. Can you believe it? Let's see if I can pull it off. Now, this may seem like a discussion appropriate to the Movies, Music & Television forum but it's targeted more towards social attitudes than anything. Here we go:

Pop culture. It owns you; it's everywhere. It overruns the media, gracing the covers of newspapers and magazines. Rolling off the tongues of television reporters. The latest celebrity gossip dominates real world events. Feckless teens probably recognize Colin Farrel or Ben Afleck over the Vice President. It's almost like a sequestered state of existance. In this election year, I'll even wager that new voters, like still-training puppies would fail to identify Hosny Mubarak by name if tested.

Meanwhile, many people put celebrities on mile high pedestals, often idolizing them to godlike proportions. I recently read an article on IGN that described stampedes of people literally falling over one another just to catch a [i]glimpse[/i] of Vin Diesel. I've even seen television programs where obsessed people undergo plastic surgery in an effort to look more like their favorite celebrity. It's this unfertilized state of being that just leaves me appalled. I mean, it's scary. And, it often leaves me wondering why someone playing a police officer on television gets more praise and income than a real life police officer.

What's the fascination? Why are these people worthy of such attention? Are they really interesting enough to enjoy their statuses of grandeur? Apparently so, according to society. Something about celebrities and their personal relationships seems to captivate people--even if, to many of us, the famous just seem like screwed up people. Otherwise, their stories wouldn't headline 20/20 and they wouldn't gobble up newspaper space.

You can't deny it, people really invest themselves in this stuff. This is celebrity society.

So, how important are celebrities to you and what is your opinion of how they are portrayed in the media compared to other news? Do they really belong in newspapers or on local news reports?

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Celebrities aren't so important to me, though I will not deny my obession with Gregory Smith or Chistopher Marquette (Ephram from "Everwood" and Adam from "Joan of Arcadia", respectively). To be honest with you, I never really understood why people piad so much attention to celebrities. And when I was younger, I didn't even know who Brad Pitt was (even now, my understanding of him is somewhat a rather vague notion).

I think that because the media through TV and *cough* sometimes illegal downloads or boradcasting on the 'net, celebrities are seen so much. We seem them playing this fabulous role, and think they're the best actor or actress in the world, or we hear their music, and it's the most ingenious thing you've ever heard. So you say "wow, I think I'd like to know the person who plays this role/ plays this music". But there's close to 7 billion other people who see tons of OTHER actors/actresses/musicians and they say the same thing. And so it begins. Everybody wants to know about this person, or that person.

That's where it all starts. Then you get the really obsessed people (the fans), and the news, by definition, is required to update you on anything new happening so you find out about celebrities from there. And then because everyone else wants to know about this fabulous actor/actress/musician/famous person, the paparazzi decides they can make money off of it/

Then children are born into the world of all thsoe who are "star struck" as this thread title suggests. So they accept it as a part of life and the cycle of obsession and privacy invasion by the media continues, and sometimes gets even worse.

It starts by becoming mildy interested in someone because of something they've acted, sang, or whatever, and eventually, everything becomes encompassing. Well, that's what I think.


P.S.: Welcome back to the OL forum. Your topic will most assuredly generate discussion, as they always do. =)[/color]

[BlueYoshi]

[COLOR=Teal]I have to admit, I know quite a lot about the movie world, let alone celebrities, and to tell the truth there isn't really anything aspiring about them at all. I can't imagine myself dedicating my own lifestyle to one particular celebrity, not the way any screaming fan would anyway, to say the least.

A lot of people would want to follow in their favourite celebrities footsteps because it?s most likely the profession they?ve chosen to pursue, and so forth people idolise a certain person. That?s the only decent reason I can think of that suits any individual.

Socially, it?s very understandable. From a stereotypical view, it?s usually middle-class workers and their families who choose to idolise these people. Take it from a schoolboy?s perspective for example, youngsters are deemed to their society and will want to fit in at any cost. So if the gossip is derived from cars and vehicles, he/she will take a sudden interest in automobiles, just as this is the case in celebrities.

From my point of view, I could never admire someone so much that I?d have to go into fanaticism just to prove my point, however, that shouldn?t say that I don?t respect any of these individuals?after all, quite a few of them really are good people. The majority of Bruce Lee fans will undertake Jeet Kun Dao just to be like him, or tone their bodies to the fullest just to feel good about themselves, which, is fairly reasonable. Most definitely though, I wouldn?t want to take keen interest in celebrities just because society says I have to.

It truly is a mysterious concept that uncovers many psychological links to the human mentality. I guess you could almost relate it to other arguments like why people take drugs, or why commit suicide.[/COLOR]

[James]

[color=#707875]I think that celebrities are more humanized today than ever before. They've lost the mistique that they had in the 50's and 60's, for example.

Today we see them at their worst; alcoholics, drug users, the list goes on.

In terms of my personal feelings...I don't find myself getting very star struck. I've met and come across various people over the years that would be considered famous. And sure, for a moment it's something you notice, because you are familiar with their face. But I'm not the kind of person to go completely crazy over a celebrity. Not only are they normal people, but many of them have done things that they shouldn't be too proud of...so that doesn't really raise my admiration for 'em.

Of course, everyone is different. For example, I would rather meet Shigeru Miyamoto than [i]any [/i]Hollywood celebrity. But having said that, my reaction would probably just be nervousness in that case...I'm not the kind of person to totally fall to pieces in the presence of people like that.

So I don't know if I'm similar to others, or different. I just don't find the whole celebrity fascination interesting. I really couldn't care less who is dating who, or who had the wardrobe malfunction. I just don't know why people can't get over it; who cares? If I'm going to be fascinated by stuff that shallow, I should probably be evaluating my own life more seriously...because there are so many more things out there than celebrity gossip.[/color]

[Guest cloricus]

As a relative out cast in the social scene 'stars' are not the sort of thing that I care much for. Sure if I saw Trinity or Neo from the Matrix or Michael Moore walking down the street I'd go over and say Gday and have a chat if they weren't busy but that's about where it stops.

Recently I was introduced to the whole 'orlando bloom' thing, or mainly it's effect of females, and this lead to a total world of movie stars and the interrelation of people who are fanatics. This was rather weird as it left me and a fellow geek standing out side the movies with several people adding all this useless information thinking "I know how to turn on a computer" and trying to move the conversation to some thing more neutral.

Really it is a null point to me and I would only seriously get into the whole mood to care if it was some thing extremely interesting.

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]Hey, man, Orlando Bloom is a very pretty guy; why else would I have a poster of him on the wall, over there? *points*
Having said that, I think that is about the extent of both my celebrity knowledge and (for the most part) interest. While it would be neat to get a chance to talk to certain actors, singers etc... I don't really think of myself as pop-cultured. : /

There are people I know who dress, talk, and act in the ways they think they should, simply because these notions are pushed so strongly by the media. It's sad, really, that they can care so much about what they think is popular.
I wont deny the fact that I have a few movie-posters on my walls, or find so-and-so to possess above-average atractiveness, but I hardly let these things govern my life (at least, I don't as much as most people--we're all influenced to an extent, of course).

I have no interest in celebrity news, when it comes to the kind of thing covered in People magazine. It's just boring; I'd rather read Naruto... (Speaking of Naruto: Masashi Kishimotto--now [i]there's[/i] a dude I'd like to meet.^.^ Psh.)[/FONT][/COLOR]

[future girl]

Celebraties aren't very important to me. I didn't know who Britney Spears or any of those similar artist or boybands were until I was like 15 (they'd been around for a while then) and we had gotten cable again and their images were plastered in every channel. I remember telling a few of the people I knew and them being shocked and almost horrified about it, somehow it made me pathetic. If anything though I find it rather pathetic that a person can revolve their entire life and attitude on one person they've never met. Most of the "celebraties" I admire are past their hay day or not very big by American standards and I think if I were to meet any of them I'd belittle the genius I thought their work was by wetting myself from excitment at seeing them. I don't really delve into the private lives of most of the artists I like and I judge them souly on their work because, in short, that's what they do, that's why I noticed them in the first place. I don't care how many boob jobs they've had and who their sleeping with, that's just ridiculous.

[Brasil]

[quote name='Charles']Pop culture. It owns you; it's everywhere. It overruns the media, gracing the covers of newspapers and magazines.[/quote]
Sorry, man, but I found this part much more interesting than just talking about celebrities, lol.

Pop culture is certainly a very interesting dynamic of society. We are saturated by it, no doubt about that. We are constantly exposed to an ungodly wide range of subject matter--the scope of it alone should drive us insane. It seems that we are unable to turn on MTV without The Real World/Road Rules parading designer clothes and MTV News has become less music news and more focused on what JLo recently did. By the very sense of the word, MTV is trash.

This seeming lack of morality of the entertainment industry is not only limited to MTV, although MTV seems to be the ultimate saturation of this negativity inherent in pop culture. I can think of no other channel, except maybe E! Entertainment, that consistently appeals to the Decadence of society, to the lowest common denominator, if you will.

But going back to what I said earlier, MTV and E! are the extreme cases of immoral pop culture, and it's unfortunate that we often label the entirety of pop culture as negative, because of MTV and E!.

However, I think it should be noted that there is decency left in popular culture. I find that Sesame Street and the majority of WHYY's programming is very suitable and inoffensive. One cannot deny the "Pleasantville" quality of Sesame Street. I recall seeing a post about it the other day, actually--was your post, actually, Charles. "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?" It's the precise illustration of what good there still is in entertainment.

While many would disagree with me, South Park is probably one of the most useful tools we can use to examine ourselves, both as individuals and as a society that is eternally plugged-in, as it were.

I think the one episode of South Park that most effectively and succinctly mirrors our current state of society is the Dawson's Creek Trapper Keeper episode. It mocks the public obsession with celebrity figures and the characters they play on TV; through the Trapper Keeper assimilating everything around it, the public dependence on technology is criticized, and in fact, as Cartman becomes Trapper Keeper, the loss of identity becomes a prominent theme of the episode.

South Park is really a diamond in the rough, when we think about it. Its surface is that of foul-mouthed third-graders, but in recent seasons, the level of entertainment commentary and social satire has increased exponentially, and because of this, South Park has become something of a revolution in pop culture.

We see this revolution simply with the shows Comedy Central is producing now. Reno 911, Chappelle's Show (which is social commentary, as well), Man Show (though, it's rather bleh now), Kid Notorious, Tough Crowd...the list goes on.

I find that through South Park, we are able to see how ridiculous our perception of celebrities actually is. Mel Gibson, especially, lol.

So, I think it is far more appropriate to be able to find humor in celebrities than to elevate them beyond what they are. Granted, some filmmakers deserve special recognition...Kubrick, Spielberg, and Scorcese come to mind, but for the most part, celebrities are just like regular people except with better jobs. It's rather simplistic when you think about it.

[Queen Asuka]

[color=crimson][size=1]My feelings are that celebrities are idolized because of their good looks. But, if they weren't celebrities and didn't pay thousands and thousands of dollars to constantly be made over, they just wouldn't look that great. Take Paris Hilton for example. We got to see what she looked like on A Simple Life without her caked on make-up. She just wasn't that cute, was she?

I would love to see what I would look like with a "celebrity make-over," where they do my hair and make-up for me, without me having to pay thousands of dollars for it. I'm sure I would blend in just as well as they do. It's sickening.[/color][/size]

[outlawstar69]

*Sigh*

I have thought about this idea before reading this thread... and my senior class trip reaffirmed my ideas. While we were in Atlanta airport, on our way to Florida, a large portion of my class all of a sudden gathered near one of the rows of seats. I wandered over there to see what was going on, but as I looked I couldn't see anything worthy of drawing such a crowd. I asked one of my classmates what was going on, and she shrieked out the name of some wrestler from TV and started taking her camera out. I don't remember his name, but I'm sure if I asked her she would... along with the dozen or so pictures she took. My point is, I felt sorry for the guy. Icouldn't stand being in the public eye like some celebrities are. How would you feel if everytime you needed to go to the store to pick up groceries or something personal you were mobbed? I felt that if I ever saw a celebrity outside, the best favor I could do for them would be to not point them out... just let them blend in the crowd, like they want.

[Motfati]

[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple]I honestly couldn't care less about who the latest pop star is or how their hair looked on Movie Awards Night. To tell you the truth, when I watch MTV or VH1 with one of my friends, I've never even heard of half the people they're talking about, let alone do I think they're all that. [/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple][/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple]I personally think that celebrity worship is directly linked to lack of nothing better to do. I know one person specifically, who became obsessed with someone when school let out. This is probably because, not only did she have more time on her hands to look up pictures, but also more time to think about it, rather than how her grade in Langauge Arts would affect her in high school (etc.).[/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple]I've also been sucked into this cycle. I have no hobby during the school year, so I devoted my time last year to making collages and scrapbooks out of Tom Felton's face. It took a long time... [twitch, twitch][/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple][/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple]I actually think it's okay to love a celebrity. A poster of him/her here... maybe a sticker or a T-shirt of them there... But when you get down to what some people do (aka: the plastic surgery etc.), you know it's time to stop. I once was watching a T.V. show a while back where a girl around the age of 20 got complete body and face surgery to look like... (hold back your screams, please) Barbie. Needless to say, she came out looking just as horrible as the freaking little piece of plastic, too. [/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple][/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple]Celebrity = Money. People want money. Celebrity = Fame. People like fame. There's another anecdote connected to this one too. In a newspaper article I read in 6th or 7th grade, it told about a young girl (I mean, young, young, like, 7 or 8) who was having a birthday party and she invited a handful of friends and rather than going to the local Chuck E. Cheese's or even Six Flags, they went to New York to go shopping in expensive stores and then later, went to a top-notch spa... they were 8 years old. [make a connection here, people] It also talked about the little girl's obsession of Britney Spears. They then showed a picture of the girl looking through her closet (you should have seen her room [dies]), shaking her head. At the time, she was wearing a glittery purple halter top (mind you, with nothing to put in it) and some $80 jeans from DKNY or whatever... People think that if they act rich and famous, they'll become rich and famous. I know. I've tried.[/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple][/color][/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS][color=purple]So, I'm gonna leave my opinion at that before I rant on and on... Basically, celebrity worship is okay to a point, but when you have to spend more than $20, you're definetly insane.[/color][/font]

[Bio]

[color=Sienna][font=Tahoma]It isn't really important to me. I can't imagine idolizing someone for whatever reason. Sure, if I saw Uma Thurman buying groceries, it would be cool, but I doubt I would even approach her. But that's only because she was in a good movie. Nothing more, to be honest. The only posters I ever have up is usually one, on my door, and it's usually a tribute to my current favorite game. No people. Not only that, but posters of people tend to freak me out. It always looks like they're watching you... or maybe I'm paranoid. I'm betting it's a combination.

More on subject though, yes, pop culture is everywhere, and it's devouring the souls of anyone naiive enough to get too deeply involved.

And on the contrary, Anime_fangurl, I agree with you. Though it's pretty bad, (yet funny) most of the episodes actually have a point, even the movie. It was proving how easily children can be influenced by stuff of that nature, while at the same time showing how much people can overreact. (obviously an exaggerated version)

I especially noticed this in the South Park Movie when the news channel was talking about how the Terrance and Phillip's movie and song was pretty much the most popular thing in America, even though it was trash. (It was funny, but trash nonetheless ^^)
[/font][/color]

[Swordsaint]

I gotta agree with bio, the stars don't really captivate me all that much. Colin farrel, did a good job acting in swat I think. But I don't set him on the mile high pedestal just because he's an actor. He's just another person, so's Ben Affleck, Vin deisel, Julia roberts, all of them! they're just people.
albiet, a bit screwed up when you look at how long their marriages last. It's kind of like they woke up one morning after dozens of white lines and drunken orgies and said:

"Let's get married so we can fight and throw lawsuits around to make the front page."

Besides not many of them are actually as hot as they look. There's a reason make up artists get paid a lot of money down in hollywood. *Cringes looking at cameron Diaz without makeup*
That's all I have to say really...

[Doukeshi]

I suppose the 'cult of celebrity' really develops from entertainment on a whole. You see these people constantly because they are on our TV screens and our radios 24/7. They are known by millions all over the world and it is because of this that they are celebrity. ordinary people would be celebrities if they were known by the masses. Celebrity chef's par example, the guys on C.O.P.S even. Because they are viewed by and influence the masses through media they essentially become celebrity. I suppose even the guy on Thane Direct Shopping Channel is a celebrity to a certain degree to those who watch him.

Thus I come to my second point. Celebritys are often categorised by the media they use. For instance, the historian Alan Bullock could be a celebrity to those who respect him and red his books and papers etc. he is well known by those in his chose field and so is a celebrity to them. Celebs are just people we don't know, but see almost every day of our lives. It is because we don't know them, that we can view them as such.

I don't think that it is such an apalling thing. Maybe a footballer or actor getting paid more for making a movie or playing a game, than a fireman saving a baby's life is sad, but then again people pay to see these people..they don't pay to see a fireman rescue a baby. "It's good work if you can get it" and i guess we need people to admire and fawn over, I guess in the same way peasants in the middle ges fawned over the exploits of the knights and brave soldiers in the many wars that spattered the globe. The only reason its gotten so out of hand is because now we have the means with which to broadcast these people much more effectively.

If that made any sense....

[xmystic_silverx]

[QUOTE=Godelsensei][COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]Hey, man, Orlando Bloom is a very pretty guy; why else would I have a poster of him on the wall, over there? *points*
[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[COLOR=Plum]Speaking of Orlando Bloom, is it me or is he just on the front cover of every magizine I see in the grocery store? Sure he has a pretty face that most girls would rather stare at all day but I'm starting to have nightmares with chibi Orlandos in anime form chasing me around in the store.

Saying all that, I would have to say that I don't have a big interest for what celebrities are doing in their lives. I'm not saying that I don't keep up in my news but I don't obsess over any celebrity in particular.

To me, celebrities are just regular people who have been recognized for acting or singing. I have plenty of friends who can sing better than Britney Spears, I'm sure their are a tons of people out in the world who can sing better than her they just haven't been recognized for it yet.[/color]

[Kenshin_K]

[COLOR=Navy]I have to admit, Orlando Bloom is pretty good looking, but I don't obsess with him 24/7. I listen to the radio and watch MTV and VH1 from time to time. I know who people are and possibly what they do. I couldn't tell you many details, though...

I think celebrities work pretty hard for their spot in the news, but they don't rule the world! They eat, sleep, and breath just like everyone else. They just happen to be recognized for a specific talent.

Overall, I'd have to say that I'm pretty neutral about the whole celebrity deal.[/COLOR]

[Boba Fett]

[quote name='Charles']The latest celebrity gossip dominates real world events. Feckless teens probably recognize Colin Farrel or Ben Afleck over the Vice President. It's almost like a sequestered state of existance. In this election year, I'll even wager that new voters, like still-training puppies would fail to identify Hosny Mubarak by name if tested.[/quote]

[color=green]I couldn?t agree with that statement more. It?s amazing how many people will spend the better part of an hour attempting to call into American Idol, but wouldn?t think of taking the time to register to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

Best not to hang out with that crowd, if you ask me. Anyone who either isn?t aware of reasonably current events, or has no desire to be, isn?t worth your time.[/color]

[quote name='Charles']So, how important are celebrities to you and what is your opinion of how they are portrayed in the media compared to other news? Do they really belong in newspapers or on local news reports?[/quote]

[color=green]With this newfangled invention called ?cable?, and the 24-hour news networks it has spawned, there simply doesn?t seem to be enough real news to report. Celebrity antics fill the downtime, and apparently people care. I personally could care less who dumped whom or which actor got a role in which movie.

The only reason I?d even think of paying attention to these silly people and their pathetic lives would be so that I can compete in the next edition of trivial pursuit.[/color]

[quote name='Charles']This is celebrity society.[/quote]

[color=green]I shudder to think that these are the people that the ?masses? idolize and emulate. These people are, for the most part, exactly who you [I]don?t[/I] want to be like?

?unless drug abuse, stupidity and utter loss of contact with reality are your ideal virtues.[/color]

[Japan]

I agree with Boba Fett. [i]Who would[/i] like to be a drug user celebrity? Being a celebrity and the gossip and news concerning them is over rated. I mean, come on. What is so cool about Jessica Simpson?

[Ninjaman]

Maybe some people are so obssessed with celebrities because they [I]are[/I] famous. I think that because they're on TV, magazines, and etc, they have to be something special in the eyes of people. There are people that are not well known that can sing better than Britney Spears or be better looking than Orlando Bloom, but it's just that since they aren't famous, people could possibly care less about them. Celebrities have what most people want: fame, good looks, money, etc. They just ignore all the facts that these celebrities are regualr people like us.

I've never really been obssessed with a celebrity. In fact, I'm now just looking up to one of them, but I'm not going to change my entire lifestyle to be like him and I don't have posters or anything of him hanging in my room. If anything, I have one article about him in my room that I actually find interesting, because it discusses something about him outside of his career that proves that he's like any other person.

[outlawstar69]

On a small sidenote, I asked the one girl who was quite literally screaming with excitement at the airport where the wrestler was, what his name was. She mentioned either Nick or Mick Foley... the name still didn't ring a bell with me. Regardless, maybe I have to much empathy for them. I just keep on imagining what it must be like... because there are some people who enjoy acting purely for the love of the stage light. They might not want all the trappings that come with being a movie star. They sometimes go into theater acting and if you're good enough that line of work often leads to becoming a film or tv actor(ess)... How would you feel if you were, oh, I dunno, a great doctor who happened to love your job because you were helping people, would you want your face plastered on the TV, or crowds of people hounding you to treat them, 24/7 ?

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick] I have had the experience of obsessing over two actors...*rubs chin* It's not that bad of a thing. I don't go bonkers over any celebrity I see, and I could probably recognize any political leader moreso than some random celebrity. The only celebrities I know are ones that you can't help but know because their names are sort of plastered all over magazines and tv and such. Like for example: I wouldn't know Orlando Bloom if he never got the role in LoTR, same for Viggo Mortensen. Seriously, if someone were to force me to name all the hollywood stars, I'd name about ten tops, and then my mind would go blank. People usually have to say the person's name to me before I recognize who they are.

Just a week ago I was watching this Revlon cream commercial or whatever that I've seen like a billion times. I finally found out who the people in the commercial were after my sister pointed them out. ["What? What? She's famous? I don't know her!"]

But seriously, I am a bit pulled into this media frenzy. When there's a big news headliner that says "ORLANDO BLOOM COMMITS SUICIDE", and another one that says, "16 YEAR OLD COMMITS SUICDE", I'd be a heck a lot more interested in why Orlando Bloom killed himself.[/color]

[Roxie Faye]

[QUOTE=Boba Fett] [color=green]With this newfangled invention called ?cable?, and the 24-hour news networks it has spawned, there simply doesn?t seem to be enough real news to report. Celebrity antics fill the downtime, and apparently people care. I personally could care less who dumped whom or which actor got a role in which movie.

The only reason I?d even think of paying attention to these silly people and their pathetic lives would be so that I can compete in the next edition of trivial pursuit.[/color][/QUOTE]

[color=#9933ff]Exactly. a couple years ago in music class (it's more music appreciation/ music through the 20th century), my teacher told me how one of those 24 hour news chanels were reporting on the case of a missing girl, around 11 or so. And right in the middle of it, they interrupted the story to cover live footage of the wedding of one of the Beatles! (I think it was Paul? o-o;) But I mean, imagine, that's the extent of how much the media is all over hollywood. They interrupted a legitimate story to broadcast some nonsense. Who CARES who Paul married - there's a little missing girl out there! How tradigic that our society cares more about celebrities than they do real people.[/color]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[color=darkviolet]I always thought it was a bit scary when some girl in my high school would obsess over Leonardo DiCaprio and get pissed at anyone who said he was over rated. I was much more down to earth and I enjoyed staying there. I can't seriously name a celebraty crush I've had since 3rd or 4th grade (anyone remember New Kids On the Block?)

But of course we're interested in the lives of celebraties. It's nothing new, back at the turn of the last century people were watching what the Vanderbilts, the Astors and even the Roosevelts were doing. It was the big thing back then and things really haven't changed all that much; with the exception of the papperazzi who have become a bit too sneaky and some of the celebraties who have become a bit too crazy.
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